On the look out for marine pests in Picton Harbour
2 March 2009
MAF Biosecurity New Zealand (MAFBNZ) will this week be looking at what’s living in Picton Harbour (including local marinas and the Havelock Marina) as part of a nationwide surveillance programme targeted at detecting a range of different marine pests.
The National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) has been contracted to undertake the survey, and the field team will be on site from today (Monday 2 March) until Friday 6 March.
MAFBNZ’s current targeted marine surveillance programme started early in 2008 and is looking out for a range of unwanted marine pests in some of New Zealand’s busiest and therefore high risk locations - namely ports and marinas of first entry for international vessels.
This programme builds on the results of an ongoing baseline survey programme that has been undertaken since 2001 and has looked at commercial ports and marinas nationwide, producing a snapshot of what’s there, and providing a benchmark to measure the effectiveness of border control and other management practices.
MAFBNZ’s Surveillance Team Manager Brendan Gould says the programme’s key objective is to detect potentially invasive and harmful marine animals and plants early enough to maximise the chance of removing or controlling them.
“This is done by targeting the search effort towards certain species and their preferred habitats within these ports and marinas.”
The NIWA team will use a range of methods to detect the species, from crab and fish traps through to diver surveys and shore surveys.
MAFBNZ says while targeting surveillance at high risk locations will increase the chance of early detection, it does not guarantee detection and is only a small component of an effective surveillance system.
“As long as international vessels visit New Zealand it’s inevitable that some introductions will occur so there is always going to be a need for monitoring and surveillance. The more eyes we have looking out for problem species, the greater our chance of detecting potential pests early enough to do something about them,” Brendan Gould says.
“Those people that spend a lot of time around the sea are the best placed to notice something out of the ordinary. Exotic organisms can establish and spread very quickly so it’s important that marine users are alert for sea life that looks different and report it immediately,” he says.
To report any unusual or suspicious sea life the MAFBNZ pest hotline is 0800 80 99 66 and will take calls 24/7.
Information on marine pest species is available at:
MAFBNZ’s Targeted Marine Surveillance Program will be repeated in Marlborough at approximately six monthly intervals (in summer and winter) until at least 2011.
Media contact:
Lesley Patston
Communications, MAFBNZ
Ph: 04 894 0163 or 029 894 0163
Contacts for operational matters:
Don Morrisey
Marine Surveillance Programme Manager, NIWA
Ph: 03 545 7744
Graeme Inglis
Marine Surveillance Programme Manager, NIWA
Ph: 03 348 8987 or 021 656 773